Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland
Victoria’s Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland has used a wide ranging discussion to press the opposition’s case on crime, sport and engagement with the Indian community, arguing that Labor has lost focus on core responsibilities.
“As Shadow Minister as well as a local member in the northern suburbs it is my great pleasure to engage and work with Victoria’s diverse multicultural communities,” he said. “What I hear constantly is that, like all Victorians, our multicultural communities are concerned about Labor’s warped priorities and their failure to stop the crime crisis and to fund the roads, schools and essential services on which we all rely.”
He added that transport pressures are a recurring theme in growing suburbs. “I also hear a lot of concerns about traffic in growing communities, which is leaving parents with less time with their families.”
Cricket became a flashpoint in Parliament after Victoria missed out on hosting matches during the Indian women’s tour. Mulholland said the issue went well beyond sport. “Cricket is a great unifier, it speaks all languages and is a sport that is beloved both here in Victoria as well as in India,” he said. “As a proud Victorian, I was shocked that this government failed to get a single game from this tour here in Melbourne or our regions.”
“It is the biggest sporting embarrassment since Jacinta Allan’s cancelled Commonwealth Games. I mean, how on earth does Hobart get two games and we get none? It’s a massive stuff up”
He said the disappointment had been raised with him repeatedly. “It is something that has been raised with me consistently amongst out Indian diaspora. In my view it is the biggest sporting embarrassment since Jacinta Allan’s cancelled Commonwealth Games. I mean, how on earth does Hobart get two games and we get none? It’s a massive stuff up.”
For Mulholland, sport carries broader cultural weight. “Sport is a fantastic opportunity to bring communities and cultures together over a shared interest and I would like to see us get more runs on the board through cricket.”
Asked whether Victoria adequately reflects the interests of its Indian Australian population in major events and cultural planning, he pointed to what he sees as politicisation. “Victoria’s Indian-Australian community contribute so much to this state, not only culturally but as volunteers, small business owners, and so much more. I am always pleased to attend events honouring this contribution, but am deeply concerned by Labor consistently using these events, funded by the taxpayer, for their own political purposes.”
Victorian Opposition leader Jess Wilson at the Nepalese Multicultural Centre
“In the lead up to the election in November, I look forward to working closely with Jess Wilson to communicate our plans to develop stronger relations with India”
The theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Rowville has also drawn attention. Mulholland said the reaction locally had been one of shock. “The local Indian community in Rowville are rightly shocked and distressed by the brazen theft of this statue of Mahatma Gandhi—a symbol of how crime has gotten out of control under Labor. I know our local Liberal Candidate Max Williams has been speaking to many local representatives about this shocking crime.”
He linked the incident to what he views as a broader failure of governance. “This incident reminds us that the first and most important role of government is to keep our residents and our communities safe, which the state Labor government has shown it is incapable of doing.”
On practical steps to ensure multicultural communities feel secure, he argued that consultation must come first. “The first step to this is listening and engaging with our multicultural communities so that their needs are heard. I have met with many victims of crime in places like Mickleham and Kalkallo, where the Government has just stopped listening. This sort of consultation will mean that we can provide the resources, safety and policies on which our communities rely.”
Mulholland described Victoria’s Indian community as central to the state’s future. “Victoria’s Indian community contribute so much to our state, through cultural, business and education. This contribution will undoubtedly continue to grow, and I will continue to work closely with the community to ensure this occurs.”
“Victoria’s Indian community contribute so much to our state, through cultural, business and education. This contribution will undoubtedly continue to grow, and I will continue to work closely with the community to ensure this occurs”
On engagement with India more broadly, he returned to the cricket issue as a test of strategy. “I think the women’s cricket team debacle demonstrates perfectly that this tired Labor government is asleep at the wheel on their engagement with India—and it is the Indian diaspora here in Victoria that is suffering. Great people to people links, which we do have through a growing diaspora, is a fertile foundation for stronger economic ties that are mutually beneficial.”
He said the rise of women’s sport deserved greater attention. “I think the growth of women’s sport is fantastic and long overdue, particularly when it comes to cricket. Labor have gone out for a duck when it comes to recognising this and meeting the community’s needs. We can’t build women’s facilities at sporting clubs quick enough, especially in our growth areas.”
As Shadow Minister, Mulholland framed advocacy as a core duty. “As Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs, it is my job to advocate for our fantastic multicultural Victorians on all issues that are important to them. It is my pleasure and honour to use the position I have been given—both in Parliament and in public—to do so. Since becoming Opposition Leader, Jess Wilson has attended many multicultural events and has been warming embraced.”
Looking ahead to the election, he said policy detail would follow. “In the lead up to the election in November, I look forward to working closely with Jess Wilson to communicate our plans to develop stronger relations with India.”
“One thing I love about the Indian-Australian community is their aspiration to have a go at running a small business, employ people and give back to their community”
Addressing questions about positioning and messaging, he said clarity would come from policy rather than labels. “The best way to demonstrate our position as the major centre-right party in Victoria, as the custodian of both conservative and liberal values, is by putting forward the policies and economic framework that all Victorians recognise as aspirational, and the way to fix Labor’s failures.”
He also spoke about small business and aspiration. “One thing I love about the Indian-Australian community is their aspiration to have a go at running a small business, employ people and give back to their community. The Liberal Party is the Party of small business so we want to make it easier for Indian-Australian small business owners to get ahead and grow.”
The debate over sport, safety and engagement is likely to intensify as the November election approaches, with both sides seeking to frame their record and intent to communities that continue to shape Victoria’s social and economic future.
Maria Irene is India Correspondent for The Indian Sun, reporting on technology, finance, culture, and diaspora stories across India and Australia, with a special focus on the Australian Consulate’s initiatives in India
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Shadow Min @evmulholland criticises Labor's failure to secure Indian women's #cricket matches for Vic. He cites this, crime concerns & #Gandhi statue theft as evidence the gov has lost focus on community safety & enggmnt. #TheIndianSun@JacintaAllanMP
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